Passover Reflections on Jewish & American History

 “No people has ever insisted more firmly than the Jews that history has a purpose and humanity a destiny,” Paul Johnson wrote in “A History of the Jews” (1987). Reflecting on Passover, the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks observed that in retelling the saga of the exodus from Egypt, Jews commit themselves to a “momentous proposition: that history has meaning” …

4000 Years Ago, Gilgamesh Foreshadowed A Great Flood

The Epic of Gilgamesh dates to 2100 BC in ancient Mesopotamia. It provides a foundation for pre-history, mythology, and religion, with references to the Great Flood, which may have been the same flood described in the Book of Genesis, for which Noah built his ark. According to Genesis, Chapter 8, in the Old Testament, which was …

Applying the Philosophy of Roman Historian Boethius to Contemporary Times

Reflecting on the beliefs of the Roman historian Boethius in a wheel of fate and fortune and applying it to 20th and 21st-century history, my friend Bruce Johnson wrote in an email: Britain in the 1950s and 1960s felt angst over the loss of its once dominant World Power position. France felt a similar pain over …

Roman Historian Boethius Explained the Fate of Nations and Empires

The Roman senator, consul, and historian Boethius (c. 480–524 AD) explained the fate of nations, empires, and societies more than a millennium and a half ago in his immortal treatise On the Consolidation of Philosophy. My friend Bruce Johnson explained in an email: The ups and downs of secular cultures are controlled by "the wheel of …

1620: What Was It Really Like Aboard The Mayflower? A Journey Into Unknown

The American Story, US History Documentaries: "For many Americans, the journey of the Mayflower in 1620 symbolizes the birth of their nation. Led by William Bradford, the Pilgrim Fathers traversed the Atlantic to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in search of religious freedom. To this day, the Pilgrim Fathers are a glorified symbol of American virtue and Thanksgiving. …

Ancestor-Worship: Very Popular

I reflect on the phenomenon of ancestor-worship, which seems to be particularly popular among old people who intently trace their ancestry online. Why is it so popular? I have some ideas. See my Substack article: https://jimbuie.substack.com/p/ancestor-worship

Arabs Before Islam: Religion, Society, Culture

Kings and Generals: Before the rise of Islam in 610 A.D., Arabia was mostly composed of nomadic tribes called Bedouins, some of whom maintain that lifestyle today. They had "constantly shifting alliances, never-ending warfare, and rare occurrences of organized and centralized statehood. These tribes placed heavy emphasis on kin-related groups..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07OsSSt0ytc&t=159s Religions were polytheism, paganism, …

Skepticism Toward the Epoch Times ‘Newspaper’ and Falon Gong Religious Group

Noticing aggressive, slick advertising on YouTube.com from the Epoch Times, with its pro-Trump conspiracy theories and disinformation, I decided to look into its genesis with the Falon Gong religious movement from China. Persecuted in China, it has become a strong supporter of Donald Trump in the US and a player in the conservative media establishment …

India: Some Hindu Nationalists Seek to Change Country’s Name to Bharat

The Hindi name for India is "Bharat," and most citizens of the country use the two names interchangeably. For the G-20 Summit in New Dehli, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is using only the Hindi name. Modi and his Hindu Nationalist political party want to distance the country from its British colonial past. The coalition …

2 Diametrically Opposed Southern Baptist Leaders on Church-State Issues Die Within Days

Two Southern Baptist ministers with diametrically opposed views on the relationship between church and state -- Pat Robertson of Virginia Beach, VA and C. Welton Gaddy of Monroe, LA -- died recently. Robertson (1930-2023) started the Christian Broadcasting Network and Liberty University, and advocated for a theocratic perspective on the relationship between church and state. …